"Impossible," the shoemaker thought with his eyes fixed on the 20-something year-old who just disclosed her identity. He couldn't deny the plain and obvious truth as much as he wanted. It all made sense to him how her hands were able to induce flames or emit that blast. She unwittingly proved that she inherited her mother's abilities.
As Alex, Logan had been coalescing what his daughter's continued development look like since that fateful night. He wanted her to have a normal, magic-free life. He wanted her to have fun sleeping over at a friend's house. What career would she want to pursue? Her first date with a boy was one prospective occasion he found himself looking forward to dread more. No matter how much he fantasized, it provided little comfort knowing it wasn't meant to be. Every past birthday had cruelly pressed that in his mind, whether it be Astra's, Natalie's, or his own. Looking at the young woman in front of him now, this new reality demolished his crafted illusions like a wrecking ball. He surely—no, definitely—wouldn't let his (assumingly) teen daughter to color her hair. At the same time, he wondered, "How did she get out of that wretched place? When you're down there, you're there for life." He was completely speechless and overwhelmed. He advanced to the desk stationed close to the entrance of the back room. Placing one hand on its edge for support, he stroked his beard with the other.
The more pensive he got; the more restless Astra was getting. She whispered to Spooner, "What's he thinking?"
The latter activated her empathetic powers in his mind. After she silently perused for a minute, she replied, "I can't tell if he's more surprised by your rapid age growth, the fact that you're not in Hell anymore, or both. Either way, his mind is boggled."
She calmly went near her father, still processing everything. Her hand was a few inches away from his shoulder. "Dad, er, Logan, I know it's a lot to take in—"
He lifted a finger, stopping her. He gave her a direct glance and asked, "How long are you staying in Ashbourne?"
"Not forever. I said that I want my questions answered. That could be, like, a couple days." She exchanged a look with Spooner, who shrugged. "Why?"
"I'm about to close for the day. If you like, I can let you stay at my house on two conditions. One, don't tell anyone who you are. No one in this town knows about my past, and I'd like to keep it that way." Astra once again crossed her arms as she listened to his next demand. "Two, under any circumstances, do not use your..." He mumbled the last word.
She jerked an eyebrow. "My what?"
"Your magic, amiga," Spooner clarified.
"Yes, that," he sighed. "Just don't."
Astra obviously did not like these pretenses. She also knew that, despite surpassing a large part of herself, he might be more likely to help if she complies. She reluctantly uttered, "Sure."
Behrad was helping himself to a sandwich in the Galley and dining room when he called Astra and Spooner. He hadn't heard a word from them within the last hour. Completely aware of his girlfriend's fiery temper, he was more worried about what she was about to do. He figured he waited long enough and decided to go find them. He went to check on Gideon as he had promised Astra. The human-AI would mostly spend time in the pocket dimension, help any of the other Legends, or go on dates with Gary Green.
On the other hand, all of the other Legends were also out for various reasons. Gary was visiting his aunt Stacey in 2024 Oregon. Sara Lance was visiting old friends in Starling City with Ava Sharpe accompanying her. Dr. Gwyn Davies and Alun Thomas were on a fishing trip in 1930s Wales. Zari, Behrad's sister, was invited to a charity event back home in 2046 D.C.
Behrad retrieved his key to the pocket dimension from his jeans pocket. He unlocked the entrance to the realm through the bathroom door. As he walked in, he called, "Gideon, I'm going to leave the Waverider for a bit. Be right back, okay?" He was met with silence. "Gideon?" He searched every room before he was convinced of her absence. He thought, "Okay, maybe she's still on the ship."
Once he returned on board, he extracted his key from the bathroom door lock. He immediately checked the chambers where Gideon could be hiding. She wasn't in the library, the bridge, the lounge, or in her quarters. He suddenly remembered that, with Astra and Spooner possessing the jumpship and everyone else using time couriers, there should be two remaining. He found one in the cargo bay; however, when he went to the lab, the charger on the wall was vacant.
Racing back to the bridge, he surveyed the records on the monitor. A holographic map of the timeline was projected over the console. He narrowed his search by observing the red dots, pinpointing the individual locations of each utilized time couriers. Behrad's eyes widened when he spotted one in particular. "Oh crap," he moaned. Its location was read as 2024 Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Meanwhile, Logan drove himself and his guests in his small, worn-down van. The ride was ripened with uneasiness from the reunited father and daughter. Spooner, who was in the backseat, tried to dispel it by suggesting some music. He bluntly responded, "I don't turn on the radio when I'm driving."
"Ever?"
"Not really."
"Is it a regular thing you do or—?"
"Yes," he curtly answered, keeping his eyes on the road. Astra eyerolled at the comment as she rested her head on her remembered him liking easy listening music. When she and her parents used to go on outings, he would tune to his favorite radio station. They would sing along to whatever was playing. Then came the day Natalie was rammed by a truck on the way home from work. Astra gazed at the pink-orange hues in the sky through the passenger window. She tuned the driver and her best friend out completely after that.
